I think weekends need to be taken off the pedestal. A bold statement maybe, but it’s a concept that I’ve contemplated for quite some time now. However, it wasn’t until a few excellent weekday outings, topped off by one extra special experience, that Thursday evening became a closer ally of mine than the overrated late Saturday night.
If the weekends are asking, you have Swarthmore Co-op to blame. Their recent beer and cheese event offered delectable eats, flavorful sips, a laid back atmosphere and friendly company, which proved to be the ideal combination of tipping point elements. I was officially swayed far to the other side where Monday through Thursday is celebrated in delicious fashion!
Officially known as Beer & Cheese Too, this was not Swarthmore Co-op’s first time at the weeknight event rodeo. In fact, they successfully hosted a Pop-up Abattoir in early March, complete with a butchering instruction by Bryan Mayer and dinner featuring fresh made pork offerings by Swarthmore Co-op’s chef Brendan Dougherty, plus beer from Lancaster Brewing Company. I spoke with a Beer & Cheese Too attendee who was also a very impressed guest of the Pop-up Abattoir and his enthusiasm seemed to correspond with mine, in that Swarthmore Co-op is lining up a really amazing calendar of events. The majority of these events are not just perfectly positioned for the typical nine-to-fiver, but they offer a sense of relaxation, not unlike grabbing a few beers at your local pub with some friends. They are no-hassle and valuable, flavor-packed events.
This particular affair kicked off at 8 p.m. on Thursday night. The Co-op’s doors were officially closed to shoppers but that didn’t stop one determined local from walking inside and grabbing a basket, prepared to ransack the shelves. In my mind, this was just another clear indication that Swarthmore knew how to host a casual soiree. Of course, this confused shopper moment happened after introductions and descriptions were shared, when the crowds had dispersed into natural social circles with their beer and cheese, but even the introductory segment of the affair was appropriately simple.
The featured brewer of the evening, Lancaster Brewing Company, and cheese provider, Farm Fromage knew that the crowd—a decently large one at that—was there for one main reason. That’s not to say that people weren’t concerned with what Patrick Thompson of LBC and Howard Field of FF had to say. Everyone listened closely as Patrick reeled through the evening’s selection and a few giggles were had at Howard’s presentation filled with witty remarks.
“A great cheese should have a five mile finish,” he warned us before diving into the tasting. “If you taste it and still like it five miles down the road, it’s a great cheese.”
I kept that humorous bit of advice in the back of my mind while chowing through various selections. Also on my mind, after a schooling from Howard, was Misty Creek Goat Dairy, which is home base to Farm Fromage. They churn out a fabulous variety of goat cheeses and organic artisan cow milk cheeses from the milk of Common Folks Organic and Green Acres Farm. Operations don’t stop there, since they also distribute the fine cave aged cheeses of Henry Lapp’s Wakefield Dairy and the cheeses of Friendly Farm. I quickly took note that, as was the case with Swarthmore Co-op and their weeknight events, there is much more to Farm Fromage than meets the eye.
The crafty selection from Lancaster Brewing Company and Farm Fromage’s glorious spread were set up in a pairing fashion for the evening but guests were encouraged to taste chaotically, if they pleased.
“Last year we welcomed Yards, Victory and Dock Street Brewing Company for the tasting” shared Anthony Saufley, the Co-op’s Marketing Director, of the first experience. “It was a bit of controlled chaos. This year, we want complete chaos.”
It wasn’t chaos, per se, but definitely an easy-going group that naturally fell in some sort of line to fill up their first plates with cheese and snag a generous pour of LBC’s Strawberry Wheat. Their Pale Ale, Hop Hog IPA and always popular Rumspringa rounded out the event’s beer list, but it was the Milk Stout that provided an additional, extra tasty level of conversation for the evening.
I’d say this was partly because the dark ale was full of roasted barley dryness but balanced out with a hint of sweetness. It also took center stage as the key ingredient in Farm Fromage’s Beer Washed Tomme, a cheese so delightful it earned second and even third samplings. However, it wasn’t until a surprise pour at the end that LBC’s Milk Stout had a true chance to shine in the form of a “chocolate covered strawberry.” You guessed it—a deliciously deadly combination of half Strawberry Wheat and half Milk Stout.
I nibbled my way through the remaining regular line-up of cheeses, all of which had evolved in flavor through the course of the evening. This was consistently a favorite element of mine to beer and cheese tastings, one that I feel can’t be found in any other experience. The flavors change and allow your tastebuds to explore different levels of each offering. Yet, there were a few offerings that didn’t make it to the point of evolvement, such as the Monterey Blue and Galens Good Old. As two of my favorites, their wedges were gone after just a few sips of their respectful pairings but the Royer Mountain, Bouche, and Welsh Mt. Cheddar held up their end of the flavor bargain and proved to be perfect pairings as the evening wound down.
After such a wonderful tasting experience, I couldn’t just leave without snagging a wedge for the road, especially since all of Farm Fromage’s featured cheeses were 10% off. For some, perhaps that was the cherry atop a sweet event such as Swarthmore’s Beer and Cheese Too, but from my side of things, there were several key items making the weeknight affair a smashing hit. From the unexpected friendly company to the make-yourself-at-home attitude—not to mention the flavorful offerings—Swarthmore Co-op has a really good thing going. Fortunately, it’s a really good thing that will continue and can easily be tracked by visiting Swarthmore Co-op’s upcoming classes and events page. There are even a few events for the non nine-to-fivers, such as Wellness Wednesdays, which prove you can get your weekday jive on in several ways.
Find Swarthmore Co-op at 341 Dartmouth Ave. in Swarthmore. Click here to learn more about the co-op’s upcoming events.
